Giant Bomb's 2016 Game of the Year Awards: Day Five

I'm just so happy stardew made it on, it was looking like a cut and i would have quit GB forever if that injustice was allowed! stardew is my absolute number 1, followed by hitman and titanfall personally. all good fun though. except firewatch, meh. and inside, meh.

Stardew Valley was robbed.

Absolute stunner, did not see that coming. But I guess they did all kinda got the hitman bug hard right at the end.

Wait - a shooter got best story....none of you do play RPG's or adventure games anymore do you...sigh. Ah well still have Aust.....*sounds of crying in the background*.

Hitman as best game of the year makes perfect sense...

I'm so, so happy that Hyper Light Drifter made it to the top ten. That game was robbed in several other categories, specifically Best Music and Best Looking Game.

Thank you, @unastrike

I'm with Jeff, Mei is the best in Overwatch, equally adorable and terrible, and I like her glasses too. D.Va and Zarya would've rounded out the top 3 for me, with Zenyatta being fourth, poor Alex was the only one pushing him.

I know this makes me an evil person, but I really like the fight that typically happens for the final ten. I know it isn't maybe as good, and potentially negative, but man, more games get a deeper comparison that is so interesting. Still, good discussion, just not as interesting

Kind of weird that Drew and Vinny had DOOM as their number 1 game, but fought for Hitman being game of the year over DOOM.... If you think Hitman is the better Game that year, perhaps it should be ranked higher on your list? Unless of course you are instead making a "Game we most played on the site" list... which seems to be becoming a trend. Not really something I am interested in considering we know the answer to that well before the deliberations.

The literal only criticism anyone had for DOOM at all was it has bad multiplayer/kind of bad snapmap stuff. Okay? So what. DOOM the campaign is the game they were making. They decided to farm out a multiplayer mode with the game they made. It wasn't so great, but that was just a side thing to have a crack at for the hell of it.

So if DOOM simply didn't even have the other options outside the Campaign it just runs away with this? I mean the AI bots in Overwatch are crap and that's an option on the menu! Obviously that isn't what you are there for.

I also don't get Jeff's argument that it's totally different when you are writing the review or recommending it to a friend than it is when ranking it for GOTY. In the first two you can ignore the multiplayer, but in GOTY you have to have those side things count as 2/3 of the game. What kind of terrible logic is that.

Hitman is a fucking awesome game. DOOM is too. Sure, personally I am a little disappointed DOOM didn't win. But I am much more disappointed there was barely any debate for these games other than DOOM has shit multiplayer so it can't be number 1. Would have been cool to see the gang duke it out with some real arguments.

So happy Hitman pulled this out.

Since they've clearly moved less away from a "Top 10 Games of the Year" to a "Our Personal Top 10 Games of the Year Conglomeration" at this point with the literal tons of random "i'll fight super hard for this shit" games they may as well just ask everyone their #1 GOTY and throw it on the list instantly as a lock in to save time.

HELL YEAH FOR HITMAN! So nice to see that game get the slight nudge above DOOM, even if both were very good games. #TeamHitman

Not too surprised by top 3. Doom, Hitman and Overwatch seemed to be locks for the top 3 for awhile now. I expected a bit more love for Uncharted 4 for GOTY. I actually thought they might go with Overwatch. But Hitman made sense if you have followed the guys all year. Though seeing Brad push more for Doom and Jeff for Hitman was something I wasn't expecting.

@ppompnmn: That wasn't my point, I should of rephrased what I was trying to say. My point was Brad (and honestly most of the staff) ignoring a valid criticism of the game and cherry picking what arguments get to be made. I get that the Doom multiplayer doesn't impact the stellar single player campaign and you can technically ignore it unlike Hitman's connectivity problem. But you shouldn't ignore what is a fair criticism of the game.

In the 2011 GOTY discussion between SR3 and Skyrim, Brad advocated for looking at the full package at everything Skyrim had to offer and Jeff argued for the Saints Row 3 story campaign being better than all of Skyrim. Basically their arguments were opposite of what they had this time around. If I remember right, Brad criticized SR3 for the bad online multiplayer (which you can ignore) and extraneous things that SR3 offered. Jeff argued that the technical problems of Skyrim (among other problems) were too much for it to be considered GOTY. Fast forward to now, Brad says the major criticism of Hitman is a technical online problem which the staff didn't seem to have too much of an issue with, it happened but it didn't detract from the overall experience. Jeff's only problem with Doom is that it isn't the full package that the multiplayer is too bad and detracts from the overall game.

I just find it funny that the arguments are essentially switched around and the staff tends to cherry pick arguments. They didn't really argue until near the end really about why one thing should be considered above the other.

Still can't believe a Hitman game won GOTY on Giant Bomb dot com.

Started feeling the winds change to Hitman late November, glad it happened. DOOM is amazing but Hitman is something truly special and brought me hundreds of hours of joy both playing and watching it played.

Firewatch got runner up for best story? I might have to listen to the deliberations for that one. That game was great and really invoked a cool environmental feel and setting for storytelling. But the actual story content in that game trailed off. Pun intended.

All we have is just a handful of puritans!

I've been pissed at the trend toward lousy shooter campaigns for years and am really happy to see a game that actually puts some effort into the single player experience. The DOOM devs should be rewarded in my opinion. Really surprised to see Jeff fighting so hard for "the total package" in this case but, hey, #2 ain't bad.

i'm not sure why people are considering a game 'won' when it took so long for them to get to this conclusion. compared to last year, the top 10 was totally set and the hitman/doom consensus took around 30 minutes to reach. this isn't about winning or losing, especially when doom still took #2 as the Best Game for Giant Bomb in 2016. There were just better arguments for Hitman, and I totally agreed with a lot of the things they said.

Alex is a literal bully for firewatch in the story award.

I have not played the DOOM multiplayer, just the campaign is it bad or just mediocre? It seems very inconsistent when they gush over DOOM for a week and don't pick it for silly reasons.

that being said i'm glad the babies of the bottom 3 got in over something with a weak consensus like uncharted 4. especially hyper light drifter - it seems like the video guys never really chime in much (from what i remember of the last 2 years) so i'm happy jason got what he wanted. thumper and stardew valley were also awesome and i glad they got let in - though i might be biased since i only play games on pc so i'll never get the chance to play any uncharted. :(

Now we just need to see how "Hitman" fared on videogames.com and nuke.com.

DOOM WAS FREAKING ROBBED! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!

how the fuck is thumper better than forza horizon 3

Cool list but Uncharted 4 should definitely be on it.

So looks like I'm gonna have to get in on Hitman, I was a fan of the old games but held off on this one because of stupid reasons admittedly. Played most of the other games on this list and would agree with Jeff on Inside being the odd man out, I just don't see the appeal of it or Limbo before it.

So glad Hyper Light Drifter made it on, wasn't my GOTY mostly because of its shorter play time but in terms of FUN it was at the top of my personal list. Thank you Jason for fighting so hard for it!

Pretty great list and GotY discussion this year. Bit surprised Hitman managed to take the top spot for GotY based on the GB lists posted during the week since Doom seemed like where they were leaning towards. Was a great pick considering the amount of fun the crew had with Hitman videos this year.

@jigglemaster7: how the fuck is forza horizon 3 better than thumper? Opinions work both ways

Good to see that the actual best Overwatch character got to be in the screenshot.

Seriously though Blizzard where the fuck is my Zenyatta merch.

Brad... dude... Doom's story was inconsequential as fuck. It existed entirely to get you into the next demon-murder arena. Yeah, it was a fun twist to have Doom Guy give no fucks, and the UAC-fracking-hell backstory was sort of inspired, but in no universe was it even in the top 10 of good stories this year.

I'd go so far as to say it was precisely the Serious Sam-like reveling in shooty murder porn that made Doom what it was, not the meh plot that had levels with actual, literal, exposition buttons. It might be self-aware enough to admit the story is mostly dumb, but it's still doing the dumb thing regardless.

Yup. DOOM story did nothing for me, but it was never about the story anyway.

Although I like DOOM, the talk of its story had me shaking my head probably the most out of all of these deliberations. Who could forget classic story moments like that time somebody summoned demons? Or the surprise twist where you go to hell? Or the memorable turn where you escape hell and go back to Mars? I personally really enjoyed the part where you have to go back to hell in order to close the hell portal.

DOOM barely has a story. DOOM has a tone and at some point they said "Demonic Invasion In Progress". An audio log you have to sit there and hear a demon talk about the Doom Slayer, is not story...it's an audio log. A codex is not story...it's lore.

Firewatch ain't perfect, but it boggles my mind that that game, which has some of--if not the--best character interaction of any game I've played in 2016, barely made it on the list, while the game with that guy who punches computers, listens to satirical holograms, and a couple audio logs in between go-over-here, now-go-over-there mission structure was the slam dunk in "Best Story".

Also, Zero Time Dilemma has the best story of 2016. I wish I was there to help Vinny fight the good fight.

The list is pretty decent especially the top half. I had a feeling DOOM was going to get knocked to position 2 especially once it was evaluated as a whole package and me personally I'm so happy that Hitman and Titanfall 2 got love.

I do feel like I need to rewatch/listen to the GOTY discussion because I feel very conflicted about the bottom three. I like all of those games for sure but the way they ended up there makes it feels like 30% of this list was about individual likes and that feels really weird verses what did or didn't make the cut elsewhere. There's an alternate world where someone like Austin is still on the staff and maybe in that world there are four games that get the same treatment and I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing. There was a combination of plea, appeasement, ambivalence, and exhaustion in a way that didn't bring the type of discussion you kind of want out of the GOTY discussion for each game that makes the list IMO. I always felt like the staff top 10 lists were the place to put forth those games that aren't going to get broad staff consensus behind them whereas the site GOTY games were saying something about the overall site's thoughts about the state of gaming for that year (at least to me as a reader). Maybe I'll feel different on 2nd listen though.

As an overall comment it seemed like this was a year where there were a few outstanding games that quite a few of the staff actually played followed by a lot of games where only one or two played them but did so with a particular love or passion. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it makes the big final GOTY discussion weird. Maybe that's just the state of things at this point.

Also I really hope next year someone kind of reigns in the occasional "I really like this but I don't think anyone is going to be on my side so I'm not going to get into it" stuff. It feels really premature to preemptively bow out of having the discussion of the merits of a game because you're guessing what everyone else is going to say. Having those discussions might jog someone's memory or dispel a notion about a game that leads to it being seen in a better light.

Overall a great year for games!

PS I finally get the manner and degree of hate some people have for DOTA discussion because I'm starting to get it in regards to Overwatch. There was a two week period where I really liked it a lot and I'd probably have fun hopping back in occasionally with a friend but outside of that the character and mechanics discussion gets old fast. Those characters are really interesting right up until the point that you're not playing anymore. None of that is to say there's anything wrong with it at all (celebrate the things you like!) but it's something of a checkout point for me and probably some others because it gets to be too in-jokey (Reaper jokes only go so far).

I love this website, cutting uncharted 4 so that hyper light drifter, thumper, and stardew valley could be on the top 10 lol so insane!

I figured the top 6 were locks for the top 10. Thought for sure Doom was gonna win, though happy to see Hitman get the nod. Can't wait to listen to the podcast and see how it all came together. Would have loved to see Salt and Sanctuary make the list but I can see Alex making a strong case for Thumper and Dan fighting tooth and nail for Stardew Valley. I hope Jason put up a good fight for Salt and Sanctuary.

Fuck yes, called it. Hitman is my GOTY, but I just got into Overwatch this week and have sunk 30+ hours into it. Overwatch and Hitman are now my GOTY.

I'm surprised, but in hindsight not really. For anyone that needs convincing, here's some great work from @mepsipax

People shocked that Hitman made it over Doom weren't paying attention. Jeff kept dropping the hints that he would go hard against Doom, all week.

Also so nice to see Uncharted 4 didn't make the top ten. That pleases me greatly.

I still need to listen to the deliberations for GOTY. I was so convinced that Doom was going to win but I wonder if it ended up being a compromise choice between the guys.

I think Brad and others gave a little too much credit to the second flashback in Uncharted 4. We found out that Nate isn't related to Francis Drake in Uncharted 3 - that wasn't a big revelation. That is what the subtitle of the game, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, refers to (also Francis Drake's deception of where he sailed).

Uncharted 3 also mentioned that his mother committed suicide. The only new information we were given was that his last name was Morgan and that his mother was researching Libertalia.

I give Jeff credit for not caving into the "just ignore Doom's multiplayer" BS. Doom's campaign is fantastic but the multiplayer is bad. The game should be judged for everything that it offers. That it got as high as it did is a credit to how great the single player is. Now let's talk about the bottom of the list. There were not 9 better games than UC4 this year. Thumper and Stardew Valley making it over UC4 is a god damned travesty.

The thing about having games like Stardew Valley and Thumper on this list is thus: If everybody enjoyed Uncharted 4 but aren't that passionate about it, and only one person enjoyed one of those games but fucking loves it, then why the hell not? Austin set a precedent last year in that everyone has a hand in the list, and I think that's definitely true of this one.

I think it's a great list! It's not my list, but that's not the point.

Good work fellas, really enjoyed all the GOTY/holiday content. Here's to another year of Giantbomb.

I feel like the discussion on choosing between Hitman and Doom ended up selling Blood Money short. Blood Money is incredible to this day (and I would argue better than the new Hitman game). I played it the first time a couple of years ago and the creativity present in some of those levels stands way above this new Hitman game. Highly suggest anyone who enjoyed this Hitman game go back to it.

Man I wasn't feeling much of these until hearing Alex passion for Thumper, Jason's for Hyper Light Drifter and Dan's for my personal fave, Stardew. Well done.

DOOM almost got best story?
DOOM has a few decent comedy moments but they're posters, they're flashy moments, they arn't story, the story is identical to every Doom game which is that hell has invaded, for whatever reason.
The comedy moments involving the Doom guy are portrayed by what he does with his hands, namely punching things, and i know people are going to sigh at this but those moments would have hit better for me if he had better animation, jerky, unpolished animation is present throughout that entire game, and considering that the game is a pretty simple shooter which took so many years to develop, the small issues stand out so much more.

I have to say this was the first year where all of these deliberations felt a bit dull. Despite being a great year for games, I was only mildly passionate about one game - Tom Clancy's: The Division. A gamer that, even I admits, a good campaign and good story in a flawed game.

All the games on all the lists were very good. No game stuck out as misplaced on a list of other great games, so there was no drama. Not even the inclusion of Stardew Valley on the Top-10 felt like an inspirational new story of "Small scrappy game makes good'. This was a great year for games, which makes it the most boring year to sum up too.

Last year, I had two games that I was irrationally passionate about, "Life is Strange" and "Until Dawn". Those games I was invested in deeply, from characters, story, visuals, and just feeling the love for games. Thus, I had more fun listening for their mention and more sadness when those games got undercut time and again.

Is Uncharted 4 this years Witcher 3? And by that, I mean is Uncharted 4 the mediocre game I'm going to have to listen to fanboys complain about getting snubbed all year?